1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system and an image processing apparatus for performing output control relating to printing of input color image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a color image processing apparatus such as a color facsimile machine that includes a color image transmission apparatus for establishing color image data communication between a remotely located communication counterpart apparatus, arrangements may be made to automatically print out color image data received from the communication counterpart apparatus on a recording medium such as recording paper. However, a receiver (user) may not wish to have certain types of received image data printed out in such a manner. For example, unsolicited images such as advertisement images and spam images may not be desired by the user.
It is noted that a user may not wish to have certain types of received color image data or read (scanned) image data printed in the form of color images and may instead wish to have the received color image data printed in monochrome format, for example. Generally, in a color image processing apparatus, when color image data are received or read (scanned), such data are unconditionally printed as a color image. In such a case, even received/read color image data that do not necessarily have to be color printed are printed as color images to thereby waste consumable supplies such as color ink or color toner.
Also, when received/read color image data are arranged to be displayed at a monitor, for example, working efficiency may be improved by having the received/read color image data printed out on paper for reference. In such a case, since the color information of the received/read image data may be viewed at the monitor, the printed image corresponding to the received/read image data may not have to be in color image format (i.e., the monochrome image format may suffice).
In view of such circumstances, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-319111 discloses a technique for converting color image data received through data communication into monochrome image data and printing out the converted monochrome image data. However, according to the above disclosed technique, when a user wishes to have the received color image data printed as a color image, the user has to go through the trouble of inputting a corresponding registration number of the image data. Thus, the print designating operations may be burdensome and annoying in this case.
Also, in a case where a color image of a page of a book or a catalog, for example, is read (scanned) and the read color image data as image data to be subsequently printed are stored in a storage device arranged within the relevant color image processing apparatus or an external server apparatus connected to the relevant color image processing apparatus via a network, in general, a corresponding registration number of the read image data has to be input in order to print out the stored image data. Thus, the print designating operations may be burdensome and annoying in this case as well.